Hale, A.R.

Hopkins, A.

Kirwan, B.

Abstract [en]

Synopsis

Safety regulation is society's way of keeping the genie of technology in the bottle, whilst still exploiting its power for creating wealth and change. It is a difficult compromise to make. Regulators often have a thankless task. If all seems to go well they are painted as too repressive and anti-technological; if disaster strikes, the searchlight of media attention increasingly focuses on them, looking for lax enforcement, blind eyes being turned and cosy relations with the regulated. This title explores the dilemmas of the regulator through case studies presented by the regulators themselves and through research-based analyses from different disciplines of the workings of the regulators and the regulatory system. More importantly it surveys the tools available to resolve the dilemmas and asks what we know about their successes and shortcomings and what can be learned over the boundaries of industries and technologies about the principles of successful safety regulation. Chapters are written by authors from seven countries, with an international perspective. They examine the role of certification, safety cases, strictly enforced detailed rules, professional regulation and self-regulation. The text covers new risks such as those from medical devices and biotechnology, as well as the well-known fields of nuclear power, chemical plants, mining, oil and gas production, railways and the traditionally difficult area of small companies.

Abstract [en]

Contents

Part I Introduction - issues in the regulation of safety, setting the scene, A. Hopkins, A. Hale. Part II The changing face of regulation: new technologies and work; pulverization of risk - privatization of trauma?, T.J. Larsson; two models of major hazard regulation: recent Australian experience, A. Hopkins; the EU Seveso II Directive - an example of a regulation that could act as an initiator to raise the major hazard safety awareness within society, J. Oh; the development of new safety regulations in the Norwegian oil and gas industry, J. Hovden; oil and gas industry regulation - from detailed technical inspection to assessment of safety management, A. Hale et al; the development of safety regulation in the rail industry, D. Maidment; towards goal-directed regulation in a competitive world - do we underestimate the risk of changes in the regulatory system?, G. Becker; the challenge to supervision of nuclear power plants under conditions of liberalization and globalization, J. Walther; new frontiers for regulatory interaction within the UK nuclear industry, J. Williams; regulatory culture - balancing the different demands of regulatory practice in the nuclear industry, T. Reiman, L. Norros. Part III New frontiers in regulation: medical device technology and patient protection - challenges for regulation and legislation, B. de Mol, G. van Gaalen; biotechnology and social control, M. Baram; certification, a tool for safety regulation?, H. Gundlach; insights into safety regulation, B. Kirwan et al.